Slice stacker



Patented June 19, 19280.

Unirensraras rarer-ar orricaf CORNELIS F. IVI. VAN BERKEL, OF ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, ASSIGNOR '.10` U. S. SLICING MACHINE COMPANY, OF LA PORTE, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.`

sLIcE STACKER.

Application filed August 16, 1926, Serial No. 129,412, and in Germany June 9, 1925.

This invention relates to mechanism for slicing meat or other commodities and for stacking thev slices on a receiving tray or table. The object of the invention is to provide improved conveyor mechanism for the slices.

The invention is exemplilied in the combination and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawing and described in the following specification, and it is more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing Y F ig. 1 is an elevation of a slicing machine having one embodiment of the present invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

The numeral 10 designates the base of a slicing machine having a rotary slicing knife 1-1, a reciprocating table 12 for presenting y the material to the knife to be sliced, and an operating hand-wheel 13. The table 12 travels on guideways 14 and 15. A. supporting plate or bracket 16 is secured to the front edge of the base 1() and carries the conveying mechanism by means of which the slices are transferred from the material as they are sliced and brought to a position where they may be discharged on to the receiving tray or support. Stacking mechanism of this nature is more fully described in my prior Patents #1,290,425, granted January 7, 1919, and #1,573,953, granted May 15, 1924.

Carried by the plate 16 and spaced upwardly therefrom by spacing bolts 17 and bearing sleeves 18 is a guide plate 19 having a peripheral flange 20 thereon. Spaced inwardly from the flange 20 is a second flange 21 held in place by angle brackets 22. The flanges 2O and 21 provide a guide slot for receiving a metal band or tape 23, preferably made of steel. The band 23 projects upwardly above the top edge of the flanges 20 and 21, as shown in Fig. 1. Spaced upwardly from the plate 19 and supported thereon by spacing bolts 24 is a second guide plate 25 having a peripheral flange 26 and an inner flange 27 held in place by brackets 28 in a manner similar to the flanges on the lowerI guide plate 19. A band 29 similar to the band 23 is guided between the lianges 26 and 27 and projects downwardly below the lower edges of the flanges. The

ner faces of the-projecting portions of theV The parts 30 are provided Vwith bands. pointed pins 31 and are shaped as shown in Fig. 1 to bring the ends of the pins in substantial alinement with the metal bands 23 and 29. The metal bands are driven by discs 32 secured to a shaft V33, thelowerV end of which is journalled in the bearing 18 on the plate 16 and the upper end of which is journalled in abearng 34 on the plate 25. The 'discs 32 are provided with notches 35' for receiving 'the bentends of the;l bars `30 which form spaced projections Vonthe bands 23 and 29 by means of which the bands are positively driven when the shaft 33 is rotated. The lower end of the shaft 33 is provided with a gear 36 which meshes with a pinion 37 carried on a stud shaft 38. The upper end of the shaft 38 is provided with a pinion 39 which meshes with a rack 40 carried lby the reciprocating table 12. Im this way, the movement of the table 12 drives the bands 23 and 29 and, consequently, the toothed bars 30, to cause the teeth on the bars to engage the slice and carry it away from the slicing knife as it is formed. It is not necessary that the bands 23 and 29 be continuous, but, instead they may be made of strips having theirends disposed adja-centeach other but separated, as shown at 41 in the dra-wing.

The flanges 2O and 26 may be provided with removable sections42 at one end thereof which are releasably held in place to close the 'ends of the guide slots for the steel bands. By removing the sections 42, the bands may be withdrawn from their guides, together with their attached toothed bars, for cleaning or repairs.

The steel bands for supporting the conveyer bars have many advantages over the chain construction shown in my prior patents referred to above. The chains require many parts and are, therefore, expensive to manufacture, and, furthermore, it is difficult to make chains of this nature so that they will operate noiselessly. Because of the many pivotally connected portions of' the chain which are subjected to alternate tension and compression, the chains are subject to wear and require considerable power for their operation. These disadvantages are avoided by the use of the steel bands comprising the present invention.

I claim :w j i l. A slice conveyer comprising a metal tape, means attached to'said tape for transporting slices,l a pulley having peripherally spaced notches therein for driving said; tape, and projections secured to the faces of said tape 'for engaging said notches.

` 2. A slice conveyer comprising a thin metal tape, a guide* having a groove in which said tape is slidably mounted,one vedge oi said tape being arranged to project from said groove, and slice engaging members attached to thel projecting portionl of said tape.

A slice conveyer comprising a thin metal tape, a. guide having a groove in Which said; tape is slidably mounted, one edge of saidV tape being arranged to project from sardl` groove, slice supporting means con- Y nectedwith said tape, andl a drivingvpulley arranged to engage the projecting portion of saidy tape.

4. A Vslice conveyer comprising a metal tape havingdisconnected ends, slice engagingA meanssecured to said tape, a guide havingv an endless groove therein for receiving said tape, and a driving pulley fooperating said tape in said groove.

5. A slice conveyer comprising a metal tape having separated ends, a guide having an endless groove therein for receiving said tape, a drive pulley for moving said tapein grooves Yand having the edges thereof pro-.

jecting therefrom, bars connecting the pro-,2` jecting edges of said tapes, slice engagingy pins on said bars, pulleys engagingthe pro.-

jecting edges of said tapes for driving saidtapes, andl means for rotating said, pulleys,y

said spaced guides having lremovable sections to permit' said tapes to be Withdrawn. fromr said grooves.

In testimony WhereoiI I have'signed In name to this speciiication on this 27th day of July A. D. 1926.

eoRNELis r. M. VAN BERKEL.l 

